The two Brighton MPs spoke out today as the government showed signs of imploding over fracking – a controversial way of extracting gas and oil from underground.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, accused members of the government of “manhandling a crying Tory MP” during a vote on fracking which the Conservatives won.
Mr Russell-Moyle tweeted: “Just seen Tory whips manhandling a crying Tory MP into their lobby for fracking.
“You couldn’t make this toxic stuff up, nasty to see the Tories at work, if this is how they treat their MPs spare a thought for the country.”
Fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant said that the Conservatives had forced a reluctant colleague, Alex Stafford, to vote with the government.
Mr Bryant said that it was a form of bullying and demanded an inquiry because MPs were supposed to be free to vote without fear or favour.
He told Sky News that the MP who was manhandled was Alex Stafford, who represents Rother Valley.
Mr Stafford said: “I had a frank and robust conversation outside the voting lobbies confirming my opposition to fracking, with members of the government, nothing more, reconfirming my position which I spoke about in the chamber this evening.”
In the chamber of the House of Commons, Mr Bryant told Dame Eleanor Laing, the deputy speaker: “If we want to stand up against bullying in this House of our staff, we have to stop bullying in this chamber as well.”
As the claims emerged, rumours were broadcast that the government Chief Whip, Wendy Morton, who is responsible for party discipline, had resigned, along with her deputy Craig Whittaker.
It followed the resignation earlier in the day of the Home Secretary after just seven weeks in the job. Suella Braverman stepped down having sent an official document from her personal email account. She was replaced by the former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
Her resignation letter appeared to be a hint to the Prime Minister Liz Truss. It said: “The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.
“Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we had made them and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I have made a mistake. I accept responsibility. I resign.”
The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, spoke briefly during the main debate on a Labour motion to allocate time for the Commons to consider a ban on fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing.
Tory whips said that the debate was a “confidence motion” in the government, with defeat likely to lead to the calling of a general election.
But late in the day, a government minister seemed to suggest that MPs were free to vote with their conscience.
Despite the confusion and claims of manhandling, the Conservatives comfortably defeated the motion by 326 votes 230, a majority of 96.
Just seen Tory whips manhandling a crying Tory MP into their lobby for fracking. You couldn’t make this toxic stuff up, nasty to see the Tories at work, if this is how they treat their MPs spare a thought for the country.
— Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP🌹🏳️🌈 (@lloyd_rm) October 19, 2022
Caroline Lucas intervened while Ed Miliband was speaking for Labour. She said: “The government have set up a new consultation to determine what public consent is.
“Does he agree that it is a monstrous waste of time and money to try to determine something that does not exist?
“There is no local consent for this. Plenty of government members do not actually want it. If the government really want to know what consent is, why do they not have a general election?”
Mr Miliband replied: “The honourable lady makes her point well … Fracking will not make a difference to bills, we cannot be assured of its safety and it is a disastrous response to the climate crisis.”
He said – she said ’nuff said ?
We need a General Election. We need to be rid of Mendacious and Corrupt Tories.
Stop Whining you lot. Looking at the calibre of Labour MPs like Russell Moyle god help us. He never had a proper job, he was on a quango in the EU scrounging off the tax payer and he has properties abroad. Nice to have rich parents. A typical Champagne socialist Do WHAT I SAY NOT WHAT I DO.
Yes, John, let us all please look at LRM who was foisted on us by Labour Head Office. He does seem to have toned himself down a bit now, but I could never vote for him. Then look at the Labour Front Bench. We have Starmer, who was a rubbish Director of Public Prosecutions, Potty-mouth Rayner, nasty Thornberry and we don’t know who the rest are, or what ‘talents’ they might have. People may want to throw the Tories out of Government, and then we have the usual farce of getting a Labour Government, because they’re the only realistic alternative on the table, but they’re are just as bad, if not worse than what we have now. What do you do with Angela Rayner, for example??? Some sort of senior Cabinet Minister? – don’t think so. She would last about 5 minutes.